The invention relates to a retractor with a retractor blade, a handle, a fiber-optical light guide for illuminating the point of engagement of the retractor and a connector for connecting a fiber-optical cable to the fiber-optical light guide, with the fiber-optical light guide comprising a bent, tubular sheath which extends through the handle and along part of the retractor blade and in which a glass fiber bundle is embedded.
Retractors are known wherein a plastic retractor blade is directly connected to a fiber-optical light guide so that light is conducted through the plastic blade to the front edge at which it exits (EP-B1 101 781). Such an instrument is normally used as a disposable, plastic product which is not resterilizable. In other known instruments of this kind, the handle can be used again, but the plastic blades are designed as disposable parts (DE-OS 33 01 890).
In other known retractors, a handle through which there extends a tube accommodating a fiber bundle is formed directly on the retractors. This tube is firmly soldered or welded to the metallic retractor (company prospectus "Fiberoptics for Surgery" Applied Fiberoptics, Inc., 0219/81, pages 5 et seq. ). The tube mounted on the blade can cause limited vision, and, in addition, the soldered joints produce corners and edges which make proper cleaning from a hygienic point of view difficult.